First, you write, “Richard’s reputation as the most reviled monarch in England’s history owes much to William Shakespeare.” In fact, his much-maligned reputation owes more to the maxim that history belongs to the victors. Henry VII, the victor in deposing Richard, had a much weaker claim to the throne. He shrewdly addressed this by marrying Elizabeth of York.

Second, you write that his recently discovered remains are “to be buried with honors in an Anglican cathedral.” This assertion is made without any reference to Richard’s Roman Catholic religion and the fact that he was initially buried hurriedly by Greyfriars after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Let us hope that any state funeral and reburial will respect this history and ensure that he is accorded the appropriate rites and ceremonies of his Catholic faith.